Howards
Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
STAPLETON C. HOWARD, a prosperous
and enterprising farmer and stock grower of Mission Creek, Chelan county,
is a Virginian, having been born in Spottsylvania county, December 25,
1844. His parents were Thomas and Elizabeth Howard, the father a
member of an old southern family of Irish descent. He died in 1864.
At the age of twelve years our subject removed
to Kentucky, and at the opening of the Civil War enlisted in Company A,
Second Kentucky Calvary, his colonel being a brother of General Morgan,
and he was a member of that wing of the service known as "Morgan's Raiders."
He served three years and participated in a number of sharp skirmishes.
He enlisted in 1862 and was in a federal prison eighteen months.
Having been paroled, he took the oath of allegiance, and began farming
in Virginia. At the termination of two years he removed to Illinois
and engaged with his brother in farming, going thence to Iowa, where he
resided until 1888. He came to Walla Walla, Washington, removed to
the Big Bend country, and located on his present place in 1898. He
now owns seventy acres on Mission creek, and has a claim of three hundred
and twenty acres. His residence is a cosy, well-built log house,
and he has recently erected the largest barn in the valley, thirty-five
by sixty-five feet, with twenty-four foot posts. He has twelve acres
of alfalfa, three acres of orchard and cultivates vegetables and berries.
He is provided with an abundance of pure water, Mission creek flowing through
his place.
Mr. Howard has three brothers and three sisters,
Thomas, John and Harrison, of Virginia; Jane, wife of Warrington Foster;
Betsy, wife of Mr. Taylor; and Lucy, wife of Philip Jackson. Six
of his brothers are dead, George having been accidentally killed while
in the confederate service by one of his own men.
December 25, 1869, at Drakeville, Davis county,
Iowa, Mr. Howard was married to Hannah Johns, born in Miami county, Ohio,
November 18, 1852. Her father, John Johns, a native of Ohio, died
in Iowa, February 9, 1868. He was of Welsh descent. Her mother
Lucinda (Morton) Johns, was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, and was of
Irish ancestry. Mrs. Howard has three brothers, Thomas, James and
Isaac. She has two sisters, Elizabeth and Almira. Six children
have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Howard, Lee, Van, Thomas, Blanche, wife
of John Wood; Mabel, wife of Willis Johnson; and Edna, wife of Richard
Stevens, the latter a grain and implement dealer of Almira, Lincoln county,
Washington. Our subject possesses three registered Jersey cows, a
splendid two-year old Jersey bull, one yearling Jersey bull and four Jersey
heifers, all eligible for registration. He finds a profitable local
market for butter in the valley towns.